Description
Latin name – Chrysophyllum cainito
Caimito, also called Star Apple or milk fruit, is a distant relative of the Sapodilla, Canistel, and Mamey. The tree is gorgeous, with deep green leaves whose underside is a striking bronze color. Caimito fruit is round, baseball sized, and usually either light green or deep purple at maturity. The flavor is very sweet, somewhere between the taste of coconut and grape. The flesh is firm with a gelatinous texture, and has a white milky juice with a slight sticky latex near the skin. They are best eaten cut in half and the flesh scooped out with a spoon.
Caimito gets the name “Star Apple” due to the fact that when the fruit is cut in half, the shape of the flesh and seed cavity clearly resembles a star. The tree is native to Panama, and has spread throughout the Americas and Asia due to its popular fruit. Caimito trees can grow large, up to 30+ feet in Florida but manageable at a smaller size by pruning. The tree is cold hardy down to freezing, but will show signs of stress when temperatures go below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Size: 15-30 feet
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Cold Hardy: 32º F
Harvest Season: Winter-Spring
Watering requirements: Drought tolerant but most productive when irrigated, esp. during dry periods.
Food Forest Layer: Canopy
